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Payback
320 pages
A breathless, on-the-run thriller that asks whether we are doomed to repeat the sins of our ancestors or free to forge our own moral paths.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like a breathless sprint through a world where no adult can be trusted. The narrative shifts rapidly between perspectives, creating a propulsive, cinematic experience that keeps the tension dialed high. Beneath the adrenaline-fueled chases and narrow escapes, there is a surprisingly deep emotional core wrestling with the heavy question of nature versus nurture. The mood is paranoid but fiercely loyal, capturing the specific anxiety of wondering if you are destined to become a bad person. Korman’s punchy, accessible prose ensures the pages fly by, making it an absolute devour for middle-grade readers who crave high-stakes action paired with thorny ethical dilemmas and the ultimate fantasy of kids outsmarting a corrupt system.
- Mood
- tense
- paranoid
- adventurous
- high-stakes
- Tone
- urgent
- suspenseful
- accessible
- earnest
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- nature versus nurture · forging your own identity · chosen family · moral agency · betrayal and trust
- The writing
- Punchy, dialogue-driven, and cinematic, utilizing shifting perspectives to maintain relentless momentum.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from desperate, fractured survival to a tense confrontation with the dark origins of their own identities.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade readers who devour fast-paced thrillers and love stories about kids outsmarting corrupt adults while wrestling with their own dark potential.
Content notes
- mild violence
- criminal underworld elements
- betrayal
About the book
After a serious betrayal from one of their former friends, the clones of Project Osiris are on the run again. Now separated into pairs, Eli and Tori and Amber and Malik are fighting to survive in the real world. Amber and Malik track down the one person they think can help them prove the existence of Project Osiris, notorious mob boss Gus Alabaster, also known as Malik s DNA donor. But as Malik gets pulled into the criminal world tantalized by hints of a real family his actions put him and Amber into greater danger.
Description from Open Library.
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